Shoe cleaning device



Dec. 9, 1941.

J. w. ELLIOTT SHOE CLEANING DEVICE Filed May 29, 1959 2 Shee ts-Sheet 1Dec. 9, 1941. J. w. ELLIOTT 2,255,274

SHOE CLEANING DEVICE Filed ma 29, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a.

Patented Dec. 9, 1941 SHOE CLEANING DEVICE John W. Elliott, Brockton,Mass, assignor to The Elliott Corporation, Brockton, Mass., acorporation of Massachusetts Application May 29, 1939, Serial No.276,285

3 Claims. (Cl. -209) This invention relates to devices for cleaningarticles made up of shoe materials.

In applying cleaning agents and covering substances to shoes accidentalcontact and transfer,

of such materials to the hands, clothing and nearby objects often occursand is highly objectionable from the point of view of leaving unsightlystains and unpleasant odors. A particular instance is in connection withtreating white shoes with whitening materials which may be of a lightpowdery character very readily rubbed OE and which quickly dries on thehands and collects around the fingernails in an unsightly mannernecessitating washing and manicures. The condition with respect to thehands is accentuated in those instances where it is desired to apply thecovering agent in selected areas only in a shoe, as for example in thewhite areas of a brown and white shoe or in other combination. In suchinstances, it is desirable to neatly apply the covering agent, withoutallowing it to become smeared over the dark portion of the shoe. Usuallya pad of some kind is applied with the ends of the fingers, a procedurewhich not only further soils the hands and nails, but fails to effectapplication of material along clear cut lines and to reach into somewhatinaccessible points as around the edges of shoe soles.

It is the chief object of this invention to devise an appliance withwhich such cleaning and color restoring operations as those abovedescribed can be performed quickly, neatly, and without smearing thefingers. The invention involves not only a novel product but also anovel method of manufacture and a uniqu package.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from thefollowing description when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating a method of making pads and.indicating a plurality of pads in a partly finished state;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating further steps in the method ofmaking pads referred to in Fig. 1, and showing the pads in a finishedpack form;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation illustrating a container withupturned cover, having received therein packs of pads similar to thepack illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the container and pack assembly ofFig. 3 with the cover portion of the container occurring in a closedposition;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a typical method of using thepad on a shoe;

Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation illustrating a modified form of pad;and

Fig. 7 is a view in end elevation of the modified pad of Fig. 6.

An individual applicator made in accordance with this invention asshown, for example, in Fig. 5, comprises a pad and a holder therefor, aportion of said holder being adapted to serve as a guard or protectorfor the fingers while the device is being used. Preferably these devicesare manufactured in a group, series, or gang, and they are so associatedwith each other that the entir gang can be handled as a unit formanufacturing and merchandising purposes, but any individual applicatorcan be readily separated from the others when it is desired to use it.

According to the preferred method of making the applicator, a blank ofcardboard l is made use of and sized to comprise some predeterminednumber of pads, as for instance five as shown in Fig. 1. In place of thecardboard I may, if desired, employ other substantially stiff materialsas synthetic compositions, wood, metal and the like.

The sheet I is next printed, and either at the same time orsubsequently, it is cut or stamped out to present scalloped edges 2 andlines of scoring 3 suitably spaced along one margin of the blank. Thisproduces a series of partly formed strips, lightly secured together atone side by means of the uncut portions 4.

In Fig. l I have also illustrated at the lefthand side thereof a furtherstep of securing a material to the unscored margin of the blank forcomprising pads, and as an example of one material used in thisconnection I may employ fiannel. Other suitable fabrics or compositionsmay, however, be resorted to for this purpose. Preferably I employ twostrips of flannel 5 and 6 placed one on the other which have beentreated beforehand with a white cleaning and coating preparation. Asillustrative of one suitable example, the following formula may becited:

6 gals. water, 19 lbs. Titanox (a pure titanium dioxide) 11 oz. soap, 4oz. Terpineol (higher alcohol used as a diluent and agent for promotingdesirable odor) 11 oz. casein, 2 oz. bentonite (clay) (The soap isdissolved in boiling water, the casein added, then the bentonite. Lastlythe titanox is added and well stirred in.)

Other types and colors of preparations may be desired to be used in asimilarly impregnated manner or at the time of application of the pad.

- The strips are longitudinally folded to overlie each side of the uncutmargin of the blank I and secured to the blank by stitching 6a, or otherI smile, e e red to, or, other material.

narrowed portions 1 of the blank l to presenta 7 pack as illustrated inFig. 2. .It willzbevobservevd that, due to the scalloped edges 2, thestrips fold.

upon themselves in a coincident manner whereby there are providedprotective tabs I'D adapted to extend substantially over the pads 8; andcover same, the tabs being in a hinged state so that the protectingactioni'rnay "5? "efiected at either side of the pad 8 and thflower endof the tab acting'as a part of'the handle for m pad in either case.

mu ing the pad according to the formula noted above, one side firstis;da"mp ened'with water and then is applied to ash'oe llas' shown inFig. '5] It will beobserved that the device is held betweenfthethumb'and the finger" [2, the

latter being pressed against the protective tab I. 'It is intendedthatsufiicient treating mate'- rial ma be retained in the pad 8? foro'neside of the pad to treatfon'e shoe; Thereafter the tab is reverselyfolded and theopposite s ide of the pad moistened and applied as"beforea It should benotedthatthe pad 8 is formed with a flat shape andpresents relatively thin wiping edgesta and square cut ends 81;particularly 's i b e' efibt ns d a s ib ic o aterials such as a whitedressingfor a shoe when used with a combination shoeupper, and whenapplying the material around the edge of'the shoe sole. The square cutends 81) tend tofacilitate a neat application of material around curvedareas or edges off-the 'dai'k leather' portions of the shoe upper"'andthereby ofthe white material over upon the da f in an' unsightly manner.

If desired, a pa d'membermay be proyidedjwith out'being impregnatedby atreating material,and such a pad may then be used in'conjunctionwithmaterialsreceiyed in a separate container to'be cked' p t e t e o 'u eta so i added at other me s ma in a r se :m'a e em lo d. 2 P v din hemesit either at indi ua or P35 Q m- I ma il fir he r e a Sing bed or a gr pof pad tr a r d' itllloth r shoe polishing preparations in any. desired'colori ap a r it a a s e of mgd' ified construction in Figs 6 and '71have 'illus a l'=i.1, I' PP iQ tQ eq pris a W1 esur about folded? layers14am; lief a holder. ele ment which may be composed of the cardboard Inth s modification the handle portions of theitwo. folds of materialhave, been cut, out .to form tabs l6 and I1: hinged atupper sidesthereof, as forrexample tab I6 is hinged at its upper side l- 8as shownin Fig. 6. In use, one tab may be bent bodied in other f rms upwards asinto the broken line position illustrated in Fig. 7, while the othertab, as for example I6, is maintained flatly. against its correspondinghandle portion, or these positions may be reversed.

For convenience the pads in the pack form illustrated in Fig. 2, arepreferably received in an envelope container. In Fig. 3 of the draw- Iha ve illustrated a container I9 comprisingafunitary member having oneedge reversely folded. and. secured by clips 20 to present an envelope2,! inwhich may be conveniently received the handle ends of a pack 26 ofpads such as has been illustrated in Fig. 2. I may desire to assemblemore than one pack unit in the envelope, and p f ab wo.- s s Z'fij nd.21 e: a .Wi be inserted therein asmay be more clearly seen in Fig. 4.The container atits top is' 'fo;1fmied with we lines of in l 5: when m bp ed wa a d s re l unt q nam widened topporti'on 2}} when the remainingpop tion of the envelope has been folded over to comlri This co stru ton re u ts ml 21 simple, e fiicient container from which separate padsmay be quickly detached as desired. w t will be seen thatmy improveapplicator P fi$ s pl he- 1 a df ci n e ber for carrying out cleaning, 1or"res;toring, and

polishing operations, andthat these operat ons can be performed quickly,neatly, 'andw itlioiit smearing the fingers. 4 While I hav e'l 'iei einshown and described a. preferred embodiment: of my invention, it 'willbe understood that 'the-invntion'ma'y'be emraps; ass s it s ees? the eetby the appended claims? 'What'I- claim as he s5 1-. applicator fortreating shoes comprising a supporting strip, a; pad flde'd" about 6135efftremity of said strip an'd 'beinig inipr gnatd with a coatingmaterial} amassed-tide h M the opposite end of-"said-"supportingstr' tolie over said passed-"twe ters "s'uft portion of same "at 'e'itlier'sidthere 2. An applicator of the ch steer d scribed comprising'a strip ofmaterial-ff dd upon i el tiesfldf'tiie, a1

a padsecured about" the x'deml strip of material, and-a't'ab portioncutolitfr'om the folded strip and adapted to h s time filed against saidpad at either side thereof tdp i'e sent a. protecting member. l

3. An applicator for applying a. coating material to shoes ciornprisingapad-impregnated w h said material and adapted to'be a supporting holder,said'pad bein J the end of said supporting to the. opposite sidesthereof member forming at part of s able with respect theretofs'aid pbeingadapted to beheld a; "the fin one. sideof the padwhile: the otherpad isin usei H W- mma

